On furosemide (water pills) and breast-feeding.....?!
Question: On furosemide (water pills) and breast-feeding!.!.!.!.!.!?
I had pregnancy induced hypertension and am currently on labetalol to treat it!. Due to extreme swelling during pregnancy, I was discharged from the hospital with a perscription for furosemide (water pills) to get rid of the extra water!. I had 3 doctors treat me while I was there!. A perinatologist, a cardiologist, and a hematologist!. All are aware that I was breast feeding!. I just went on the internet and it's telling me I SHOULD NOT breast feed while on furosemide!. Why would they perscribe me this if they know I was breast feeding!? Do the benefits outweigh the risk!? Should I be worried!? I want to know if anyone else has gone thru this and thanks ahead of time!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
I have been treated for hypertension while breast feeding too, and I am a medical professional!. The problem with breast feeding and hypertension is that there are so few women in that situation that relatively few drugs have been used/tested for safety!. It is considered unethical to test drugs on women with babies, so the MD has to just use the drug that seems the safest and hope for the best!.
Obviously, if you are not treated, you will have further heart problems and not be able to be a fair mother (or even an alive one) for your child!. Drugs also have ratings of A (considered safe), B (pretty safe, but don't use if not really needed), and so on!. Drugs labeled X are not safe at all, and should never be prescribed in your situation!.
Since you have to have medications for your blood pressure, and people who need diuretics (water pills) for their blood pressure generally do NOT respond to other blood pressure type medications (calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, etc!.), you have to weigh how badly you want to breast feed your child!. If the benefits of breast feeding outweigh the chances of problems for the baby from the medication, by all means, keep nursing!. If your diuretic could cause more harm than the benefits he/she receives from breast feeding, switch to formula!.
Yes, there are a few other diuretics, but not all work the same!.
Others may be ineffective in treating your condition!. If you are really worried about it, you need to get your pediatrician and cardiologist to talk about it together, but in my opinion, the pediatrician will defer to the cardiologist because of YOUR health!. Lasix (furosemide) has been given safely to breastfeeding women and no harm done to the baby!. The biggest concern for the baby will be having extra electrolytes removed (like potassium, sodium, calcium) or having some damage done to the kidneys (because that's what happened to rabbits given several times the human dose)!.
Arm yourself with all the information you can!. Do a search "furosemide [or other drug] safety in breastfeeding"!. If you know any pharmacists, pick their brains!.
In the end, YOU are the one who has to weigh the risk versus the benefits and choose whether to continue the medication, change it (and the new one may pose problems for the baby, too), or quit breastfeeding!. It's a difficult decision!.!.!.!.and your doctor can guide you, but you have the final choice!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Obviously, if you are not treated, you will have further heart problems and not be able to be a fair mother (or even an alive one) for your child!. Drugs also have ratings of A (considered safe), B (pretty safe, but don't use if not really needed), and so on!. Drugs labeled X are not safe at all, and should never be prescribed in your situation!.
Since you have to have medications for your blood pressure, and people who need diuretics (water pills) for their blood pressure generally do NOT respond to other blood pressure type medications (calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, etc!.), you have to weigh how badly you want to breast feed your child!. If the benefits of breast feeding outweigh the chances of problems for the baby from the medication, by all means, keep nursing!. If your diuretic could cause more harm than the benefits he/she receives from breast feeding, switch to formula!.
Yes, there are a few other diuretics, but not all work the same!.
Others may be ineffective in treating your condition!. If you are really worried about it, you need to get your pediatrician and cardiologist to talk about it together, but in my opinion, the pediatrician will defer to the cardiologist because of YOUR health!. Lasix (furosemide) has been given safely to breastfeeding women and no harm done to the baby!. The biggest concern for the baby will be having extra electrolytes removed (like potassium, sodium, calcium) or having some damage done to the kidneys (because that's what happened to rabbits given several times the human dose)!.
Arm yourself with all the information you can!. Do a search "furosemide [or other drug] safety in breastfeeding"!. If you know any pharmacists, pick their brains!.
In the end, YOU are the one who has to weigh the risk versus the benefits and choose whether to continue the medication, change it (and the new one may pose problems for the baby, too), or quit breastfeeding!. It's a difficult decision!.!.!.!.and your doctor can guide you, but you have the final choice!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
During pregnancy Furasemide is the prefererred drug!. It should not be given while breast feeding!. Doctors most probably were more concentrating on your swelling and blood pressure rather than your breast feeding later on!. It happens a lot, they think about the main problem and overlook non life threatening conditions!.
Best thing to do is talk to your doctor who can simply shift you to another mild hypertensive drug that is safe in breast feeding!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Best thing to do is talk to your doctor who can simply shift you to another mild hypertensive drug that is safe in breast feeding!.Www@Answer-Health@Com